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Dodge County board approves multiple solar ordinance addendums; chair breaks tie on tax-abatement clause
Summary
The board on Sept. 15 approved several solar ordinance addendums — including banning Battery Energy Storage Facilities (later noted as rescinded Oct. 6, 2025), manager approval for some provisions, application fees, signage and a new rule denying permits if applicants seek or receive local tax abatements; that tax-abatement clause passed after Commissioners Jeffrey Jones and Brian Watkins voted no and Chairman Dan McCranie cast the deciding vote.
The Dodge County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 15 considered and approved multiple addendums to the county’s solar ordinance, taking action on definitions, permitting requirements, fees, and public-notice provisions.
Among the measures recorded in the minutes: a provision addressing Battery Energy Storage Facilities was added to the ordinance’s definitions and Section 4(b) to prohibit such facilities; the minutes also note that this motion was later rescinded on Oct. 6, 2025 and stricken from the ordinance. The board approved giving the county manager authority to approve items in Section 4(e) (Decommissioning) and Section 4(i) (Visual Buffers). A revision to setbacks in Section 4B(a) was tabled for rewording to reflect intent.
The board approved business license and application fee requirements for solar projects, a Construction Traffic Management Plan requirement, and a requirement for signage at application time and updated public hearing dates. Commissioner Sharon Cobb Flanagan moved to add language in Section 5B(b) stating that a permit application shall be denied if the applicant seeks or receives any local tax abatements related to the solar project; Commissioner Leigh Ann Greene seconded. Commissioners Jeffrey Jones (remote) and Brian Watkins voted against that provision. Chairman Dan McCranie cast the deciding vote in favor and the amendment passed.
Why it matters: The package changes the county’s regulatory approach to solar development, adding new administrative requirements and a provision that can disqualify applicants who pursue local tax incentives. The denial-for-abatements clause signals a policy stance that ties local tax incentives to permit eligibility.
What’s next: The minutes record approval of the addendums and, in one instance, tabling for further revision (setbacks). The Battery Energy Storage Facility prohibition is noted as having been rescinded on Oct. 6, 2025; the minutes do not record further implementation steps or appeal processes for other provisions.
